birth control for teenagers.

baby green bird

do you think bc should be readily available without parental consent, or should parents always need to give permission for teens to buy/get them. do you think it is a good idea for schools  to hand out condoms?

Brie2010

Yes, no, and yes.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

laurenclaire1386

High school kids aren't gonna stop banging eachother any time soon. Might as well teach them to do it safely and avoid unwanted pregnancies.

baby green bird

Lauren... see this is why i like you. lol

danieliza1127

Yes, no, and yes.

I went to PP by myself when I was 17 and had my first pap and got BC pills without my Mom knowing.  I did tell her shortly afterward when she offered to take me that I had already gone, and she was actually impressed by that - that I had shown the responsibility to do it myself and be careful. 

FutureMrsTR

I think hormonal birth control should require parental consent because medical history is important and the parent should be aware what is going in their child's body in case something goes wrong.

I have no problem with condoms being included on the lunch trays next to the milk and chicken nuggetes.  I think that should be accomanied by good sex education that doesn't teach ONLY abstinence, but certinaly emphasizes that that is the only 100% effective birth control.

banana468

It depends.

Condoms and barrier methods - absolutely.

Prescription methods - not so sure.  Many medical providers can routinely just prescribe a certain BCP and the teen may want it quickly without knowing that she has a preexisting condition.

Yes, teens absolutely should be taught how to practice "safe sex" but some contraception methods need to be discussed quite carefully before their use before a teen suffers a side effect or she has a false sense of security. 

betrothed123

I have no problem with high schools handing out condoms, but I would have an issue with say a middle school doing it.  I also don't think that every type of BC is safe for everyone, so no I don't think any type of BC, other than condoms, should just be handed out at schools.

lilgina64

I went on BC when I was 14 for medical reasons. I didn't have sex for another few years actually. my mom took me the doctor to get it and knows that I've never gone off it. I can only think of one of my girlfriends who mother didn't take her to the doctor and she went to PP on her own to get the shot, then switched to the pill a few years later. I'd rather put my daughter on BC and know at least she won't get knocked up, or give her condoms and reduce her chances of catching a std, than have her running around town all unprotected. especially if she has her mother's libido, I'm screwed.

squirrly

I don't really see how somebody whose body has decided it's capable of creating a baby should, under any circumstances, not be allowed to get medicine that would prevent that.  Do I think they need to have a doctor's appointment?  Yes.  Should the doctor do a full exam?  Yes.  Is it ok if they require sex ed classes too before giving out the prescription?  Sure.  But, yes, teens should have access to BC. 

MissLeahM

I agree with the condoms, I'm on the fence about BCP.

crfische

Heck yes it should be available.

banana468

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_birth-control-teenagers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:3a93778d-ff0c-462a-af69-7f4a7e69767dPost:194b5f84-c6d1-42e5-8696-83b7b36c5b0b">Re: birth control for teenagers.</a>:
[QUOTE]I don't really see how somebody whose body has decided it's capable of creating a baby should, under any circumstances, not be allowed to get medicine that would prevent that.  Do I think they need to have a doctor's appointment?  Yes.  Should the doctor do a full exam?  Yes.  Is it ok if they require sex ed classes too before giving out the prescription?  Sure.  But, yes, teens should have access to BC. 
Posted by squirrly[/QUOTE]

The problem is that at least when I went on BC, the only exam I had was a pap smear.  Looking back, it's a great thing I wasn't predisposed to blood clots, or heart disease because that could have completely f'd me up.

So if you're going to prescribe, you need the patient's FULL medical history before doing so.  Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case.

agk0125

Teenagers shouldn't need parental consent for BC just because they will be too scared to ask and end up never getting it and getting knocked up. I know that's the worst case scenerio, but it happens all the time. If a teenager has their act together enough to seek out BC on their own we should respect that and not treat them like kids who need a permission slip.

And sure give them condoms, but only if they ask for them in the nurse's office or something.

lyndausvi

I agree with condoms.

But if a doctor can not give cough medicine to a teen with out a parents permission, why should they be allowed to give BC.

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

This is sort of like the whole parental consent for abortion debate (which is, again, another debate). You don't know what kind of house a kid lives in. They might have extremely strict parents who would kick them to the curb if they even knew they were having sex or asked for BC, let alone if they got pregnant.

While I don't think every teenager is ready to have sex, I think if you are ready to do the deed, you should be ready to take responsibility for your own birth control choices.

MyNameIsNot

If I had a teenaged girl, I'd put her on the pill the day she started her period.  Of course, I'd also have 89034 conversations with her about how the pill is not enough and STDs and condoms, but still. 

I don't have a problem with schools handing out condoms.  I remember being 16 and not being able to buy condoms, and therefore using the pull and pray method.  Teenagers have been having sex since the dawn of time.  They aren't going to stop.  Let's get realistic about this.

bbyckes

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_birth-control-teenagers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:3a93778d-ff0c-462a-af69-7f4a7e69767dPost:486f72af-27e1-43ab-b0ca-5122faf80a38">Re: birth control for teenagers.</a>:
[QUOTE]Yes, no, and yes. I went to PP by myself when I was 17 and had my first pap and got BC pills without my Mom knowing.  I did tell her shortly afterward when she offered to take me that I had already gone, and she was actually impressed by that - that I had shown the responsibility to do it myself and be careful. 
Posted by danieliza1127[/QUOTE]

I did the same thing, except at 16.  I knew I didn't want to get pregnant, but I also knew I wanted to have sex.  There was no way I would have approached my mom about birth control - no way.

I plan on my son and I being very open.  I want him to be able to talk to me about anything.

lyndausvi

One reason I like condoms better is it takes care of 2 things (1) BC and (2) STD...

BCP only takes care of getting pregnant, it will not stop getting an STD which to me is just as important.

JK10910

In an ideal world, teens would talk to their parents about this stuff, and being able to get it without parental consent wouldn't be an issue.  BUT this is far from that, and kids aren't going to stop having sex just because they have to ask their parents for BC. 

I do agree with PPs (actually something that hadn't even crossed my mind in the short period of time it took me to read the OP and vote) that hormonal and invasive (the implant, IUDs) methods should probably have an adult's consent just because of medical issues.  But then again, I wouldn't trust a 15 year old girl to take her pills correctly anyway.  I don't trust many adults to take their pills correctly.

squirrly

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_birth-control-teenagers?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:3a93778d-ff0c-462a-af69-7f4a7e69767dPost:1534d368-065a-43e1-85c6-60c8a8e6dcb0">Re: birth control for teenagers.</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: birth control for teenagers. : The problem is that at least when I went on BC, the only exam I had was a pap smear.  Looking back, it's a great thing I wasn't predisposed to blood clots, or heart disease because that could have completely f'd me up. So if you're going to prescribe, you need the patient's FULL medical history before doing so.  Unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case.
Posted by banana468[/QUOTE]

Banana, I get that.  However - if they don't know the history at 16, they're unlikely to know it at 18 when they CAN go on their own to get it.  Better to enable their regular doctor, who probably has their medical history available, than to force them to look for a clinic that doesn't know them, etc.

Also - the part I can't get out of my head is that those same parents who can say no to BCPs and abortions for their daughters CAN give uncle jimmy consent to have sex with the daughter.  It's really the daughter who suffers.  Certainly not all parents are like this, but some are.  Some are just judgemental enough that, like me at age 30, their daughter might NEVER admit to being on BCPs. 

I went to health services in college, because it was the only place I could go.

banana468

Squirrly, I think the larger picture is that going on BCP needs to be a bigger deal from a medical standpoint.   Girls need to be educated before going on it so they're aware of the long term and not just short term effects.

I also know SO many people who went on BCP and then experienced depression.   Those prescribing need to keep their patients informed that these can be some very real side effects.

lyndausvi

I get what you are saying squirrly... 

But there are over-the-counter forms of BC.  Why not let the teens have access to those, instead of going to a doctor while a minor?

I would be pissed, angry, upset, etc if my daughter went to a doctor, had a procedure without my knowledge and god forbid something went wrong.   I now have to deal with the emtional  (and fiancially) fallout from a procedure I did not even know was going on.

baby green bird

I agree with squirrly 100%

mocha beans

Condoms without parental consent, absolutely.  Hormonal BC or other devices, I'm leaning towards the not so much.  Part of me wants to give them the responsibility to make those choices, and to make them without fear of getting yelled at or kicked out or whatever.  But, a bigger part of me realizes that honestly, many kids aren't fully aware of their's and their family's medical histories, which is crucial in doing proper prescribing.  And this all goes without saying that sex ed needs to do a much, much better job of educating beyond the "JUST DON'T DO IT!!!!" stance.  We've determined that's worse than simply ineffective.

Maybe as computerized medical records become more common and portable, doctors won't need parents to give permission and to show medical records.  Everything the doc needs will be just available.  Then I could see letting teens get them without approval at say 15 or 16, because the prescribing info will be available to them.

ExpatPumpkin

I haven't read the other response yet, so here are my thoughts on the original question and poll...

I voted #2 - BC without parental consent.  I pray, however, that my future daughter a) doesn't have sex as a teenager, and b) comes to talk to me about her options if she does.   

I have family in Oklahoma where there's a strong Southern Baptist influence.  The prevailing way of dealing with teenage sex is to not discuss BC, certainly not make it available, teach kids that pre-marital sex is wrong, and keep them involved in church activities.

It's not working...  

(This is not a shot at Southern Baptists.)

BecW2be

Thanks coco! I'm sure Manda does NOT agree, especially when I'm reminding her of how to use condoms as she's walking out the door with a boy, and asking him if he knows how to use them. I think I pretty much embarrass both of them enough to not mention sex again that night. One can only hope, anyway.

BecW2be

EDIT: double post wtf? Stupid fucking knot.